February 16, 2008

It really is, I think. I say that because I cooked only once the entire month Leonard was gone, and normally I cook two or three times a week. It's just no fun to cook only for myself - because who is here to enjoy it with me?

In many of the books I've read over the years, food is communication. It can be seduction, frustration, contentedness, anger, elation, or any multitude of emotions. And I think it is that way in life too. And in my case, food is love. I cook for the people I love.

On Thursday evening I cooked Indian Food for Leonard. I learned to make it last fall, and he often requests it. But the best is when I can surprise him with it. Like if I know he is not feeling well but working a long day and it is ready on the stove to greet him. Or just this week, after he'd been gone for a month it was my way of welcoming him home.

Food is love because cooking is a hands-on process and a good meal is time consuming to make. Beef curry takes about 2 hours beginning to end. My friend AJ taught me to make it. I've been watching him for a few years, and last year he gave me some traditional spices and a pan so I could get started. I seem to make it a little differently each time, but the variation is good. I don't even have a recipe to follow! Sometimes I think those are the best meals to cook. I put myself into it every time. It takes more time to cook than eat, but it is so worth the yumminess and appreciation!

February 6, 2008

Here is a blog with a doable idea. Basically, Rachel Anne urges fellow bloggers to do one small thing a day to keep up with the house cleaning. (She even posts a small thing every weekday so we don't have to think about it!)

I, like many, am a list maker. Things to do, things to clean, things to file away, things to make, things to write, things to think about, and on and on. The list is long, folks. But back to things to clean. Such as my apartment. The list gets long and arduous. I spend lots of time procrastinating. I'm good at that. But the list never really gets shorter because by the time I start to think about pecking away at the list I've lost the list in a pile of papers.

But the small things idea is brilliant. This week I've attempted to do one small thing each evening - such as tossing out old food in the fridge, de-cluttering the stairwell, wiping mirrors. Really it takes only a couple minutes when it comes right down to it. But the beauty of it is once I start cleaning I get into a groove and one small thing leads to another and suddenly the trash is emptied, the car is cleaned out, the cabinets are wiped down... you get the picture.I've made a lot of progress! The kitchen and bathroom are sparkling, the bed is fresh and made, the floors are vacuumed, the laundry is mostly finished, with one mishap. I took a fantastic spill on the ice outside and have a crushed laundry basket, two bruised knees and a sore shoulder to show for it. That was no fun.

But besides that, this cleaning thing isn't really so overwhelming. I just have to set my mind to it and do a little each day. I will not go so far to say that it is fun but it is nice to feel a sense of accomplishment. And I didn't have to pull a Fly Lady in the process, which is really nice.

I WILL say it has been less than a week. I am still home alone so I have a lot of time on my hands. Check back in a month, and ask me what the apartment looks like. THAT will be the real test. But I'll try to be optimistic - I really want to teach myself to keep an orderly house.